Me Time

The more time I spend revisiting the memories from last week's trip home, the more time I feel I need to spend with me. That may sound harsh to some. Others might understand what I mean by that. I suppose I should try and explain.

Having two weeks back home during Chinese New Year was amazing. Not being in Charleston in 7 months really made me long for lungfulls of pluff mudd and salt water air. Not being home made me miss Bloody Marys, EVO pizza, walks along the Battery and marsh views. I missed my friends and family too. I was so excited to plan the trip home and then to finally arrive after several legs during my journey from China.

My first day back was great. I woke up early and got ready for church with my favorite little man and his mom and dad. Surprising Wheeler that morning was priceless. At first, he wouldn't even look at me; his mom said he was mad I left him all those months ago. Then, he wouldn't take his arms from around my neck...not a word was shared those first several minutes, just the most amazing hug I've ever experienced. Prior to church, trying to pick his family up from a house where they no longer lived was pretty hilarious. I sat on the pew next to my best friend Sarah and said, "So, where do you live?" "Ha ha," she said, "I knew you'd go by there. I wanted to surprise you...we built a house!" Ha ha indeed. I'm glad the new occupants of the Poplar house didn't come out angrily at me on Sunday morning when I was banging on their door...I'm even more glad I didn't try my key!!

After church, I met other friends for lunch where I had my first Bloody, and second, along with a good Southern helping of macaroni and cheese and BBQ. Thank you Home Team for my welcome home meal! #Fatandhappy as I always post on Instagram...thanks Allan for pointing that out.

My first full day back in Charleston happened to be my brother's birthday, so Sunday evening was spent at Mom's house where my family and I spent a few hours catching up.

The first week flew by with previously scheduled appointments for hair, teeth and back. Some things had to be taken care of immediately! In between blonding up my hair, whitening up my teeth, and straightening out my spine, I scheduled lunch dates or "coffee" breaks with friends. "Coffee" could stand for anything from a chai latte to a pint of beer, another Bloody Mary or a coke. It might have even stood for my wifi usage at Starbucks because Mom's house really had something against my Macbook during this holiday home.

The weekend after my arrival, I was set to host my sister's baby shower. Thank goodness for her friend Jennifer who chauffeured me all over the tri-county area for errands. We visited North Charleston for food items from SAMS, got flowers in Mt. Pleasant, found decorations WAY OUT in Mt. Pleasant, came back closer to Charleston for the cake, went up to North Charleston and then back to Mt. Pleasant because of the whole cake fiasco. The glitter bomb hot pink mess we first were given left me speechless save for the words, "THAT IS NOT WHAT I ORDERED." Shaking and almost in tears, Jennifer and I walked out of Bakies stunned. Thankfully, I was able to later pick up the correct, simple monogram cake which I originally ordered. What did the guy think when I said, "NOT TACKY, NO DESIGNS, JUST A MONOGRAM"?

The shower turned out beautifully, in my opinion, and left me exhausted on Sunday evening, so my plans to get dolled up for an Oscar party were cancelled. I was disappointed not to have a reason to put on a cocktail dress as I've not had any purpose for getting "done up" since living in Dongguan, but never-the-less, watching the Oscars in my pj's in front of my mother's fire was actually a really nice way to end my first week home.

The final week of my "holidays" flew by with me racing from one person to another any chance I was able to borrow one of three vehicles...thanks Mom, T'Lene, and Sarah for being so flexible! Lunch in Mt. Pleasant, readings in Hanahan, school visits on James Island and random visits to Moes, Poes, or wherever else I could meet friends and their new babies...oh so many babies, kept me super busy.

Being completely on the go for two weeks, answering phone calls and accepting invitations for whatever friends offered, really wore me out. During all that time at home (all 12 days), I got only one morning for a run over the Cooper River and maybe an hour at the gym another day. I had zero writing time and no time for reading either. I flew "home" to China where, unfortunately, I got stuck in the Hong Kong airport because of a delay in Seattle (thanks Delta), but after something like 36 total hours of travel time I FINALLY made it back to Dongguan. Immediately jumping back into life here, I spent my Sunday shopping for groceries and preparing for the week ahead. School began on Monday and just like that, things were back to normal. Tutoring commenced on Monday afternoon and it wasn't until this weekend that I finally got some "me time." It's funny, and completely out of the ordinary, but as I wrote this, I was sitting in a bakery with some friends, one of them Antoine and then also Antoine's child. The friends were all drawing...they're artists...it's what they do. I don't draw, so Antoine gave me paper and said to write. I can't believe I literally put pen to paper and scribed out this "blog" on four giant sheets from a sketch pad. I finally got that "me time" I so craved though. Antoine's son looked at me and in his French/Chinese accent said, "Why you write so much?" I simply responded, "because I really like to."

You see, yesterday morning I tried to sit in bed with my laptop and write this blog, but everything came out so negatively. I don't want to be negative. I'm sick of negative! I am so thankful for the hour I spent in the bakery yesterday while my friends and I chatted and then had time for our individual artwork. I'm so unbelievably content with moments like that...moments where it is ok to be quiet...where no one feels the need to fill the silence. The only noise we heard was the brush of the pencil on the paper or the sound of dishes being cleared from nearby tables. I was simply happy in that moment yesterday, and thankfully, that moment has carried on. I love my friends and family and I'm so happy that people thought enough of me to want to spend time with me when I was home, but I am so happy now to be able to find myself again...to be still, to be quiet, to be me. I think often times people worry too much about being with others and neglect spending time alone. Some people have a fear of it. I urge you however, to find that time. It's in those quiet moments we discover who we truly are and who we want to be.